“If I don’t drink coffee, my headaches get worse. I used to be fine with just one cup, but these days I’m drinking 1 liter at a time.”
Mr. Kim, an office worker in his 30s, said, “I experienced the phenomenon of ‘caffeine addiction’ after drinking coffee.” Mr. Kim, a test taker who enjoys drinking large 1L bottles of Americano at a convenience store, also confessed, “If I don’t drink it, I get anxious while studying and end up not being able to put down my coffee.”
The era has come where not only office workers but also students are looking for ‘bulk coffee’ as a ‘survival item’ in their daily lives. A medical expert expressed concern about caffeine addiction, saying, “The number of patients who become addicted to coffee while drinking frequently and visit hospitals suffering from osteoporosis, neutral fat, and hyperlipidemia has increased significantly.”
There are quite a few posts sharing stories of people experiencing caffeine addiction in various online communities. Mr. A, an office worker, said, “I drink at least two cups of coffee a day, but if I don’t drink coffee in the morning, I immediately start getting a headache.” He continued, “But I tried to endure it as long as I could, so I didn’t drink it, but around 2 p.m., the headache started to start, so I ended up drinking it.” He said.
Mr. B also said, “I quit drinking coffee as soon as I was told not to drink caffeine due to chronic inflammation after the health checkup.” He also added, “I drank two cups a day, one on the way to work and one after lunch, so I didn’t think I was eating a lot, but in the afternoon (the day I quit), I drank coffee.” My head hurt a little, and from the next day, whenever I closed my eyes, I would fall asleep and my head would hurt as if it would explode.
Caffeine contained in coffee is absorbed into the human body in various forms and acts on the central nervous system to awaken the mind and reduce fatigue. It also stimulates nerves and temporarily improves memory. The caffeine content of commercially available Americano varies depending on the amount consumed, but is known to contain about 150 to 200 mg per cup on average. A 1L large-capacity Americano sold by a low-cost coffee brand was found to have an average caffeine content of between 289.7mg and 492mg.
To prevent side effects from caffeine, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety limits the recommended daily intake for adults to 400 mg or less and for adolescents to 2.5 mg or less per body weight ( kg ). If you drink two cups of Americano (303 mL on average) sold at major coffee shops in Korea, you will be well over the recommended amount.
Experts explain that consuming more than 500 mg of caffeine a day can cause caffeine addiction or withdrawal symptoms.
The American Psychiatric Association reports that people who do not have physical or mental illnesses and who consume more than 250 mg of caffeine per day suffer from restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, facial flushing, frequent need to urinate, indigestion and other digestive disorders, rambling thoughts and speech. They cautioned that caffeine addiction should be suspected토토사이트if five or more of the 12 symptoms, including muscle spasms, distraction, lack of tiredness, and faster or irregular pulse, appear.
Caffeine addiction symptoms include headaches, sleep disorders, and rapid heartbeat. Excessive consumption of caffeine can cause anxiety, nausea, and vomiting, and when poisoned, nervousness, muscle spasms, insomnia, palpitations, and calcium imbalance can occur. In addition, it can cause side effects of stomach-related diseases such as reflux esophagitis, gastritis, and gastric ulcers, and can cause side effects such as somnia or lack of sleep.
Withdrawal symptoms that occur after caffeine intoxication begin to appear 12 hours after caffeine ingestion and reach their peak after 24 hours. Laura Giuliano, a professor of psychology at American University, explained in a report, “Many people suffer from chronic headaches or go to the hospital thinking they have a cold, but in reality, they may be suffering from caffeine withdrawal symptoms that they are unaware of.”
Seo Hee-seon, a professor of family medicine at Gachon University Gil Hospital, said, “If a person who always drinks morning coffee does not go to work on the weekend and sleeps in, their caffeine level will drop and they will have a huge headache. The key to dealing with caffeine addiction is to reduce coffee intake overall.” “You should try to drink pure herbal tea or grain tea, and if withdrawal symptoms due to addiction are severe, it may be helpful to receive psychological treatment,” he advised.
“Many people misunderstand that caffeine helps relieve fatigue, but caffeine covers up fatigue,” he said. “When you drink coffee, you feel alert for a moment, but when the effect of caffeine wears off, you can feel more tired. Coffee as a fatigue reliever. “This is why I do not recommend it,” he added.